Electrical advertising machine



No. 622,608. Patented Apr. 4, I899.

H. W. COX.

ELECTRICAL ADVERTISINGIACI-I INE.

(l pplication am: Sept. 15, 1998. (llo Iodel.) 2 $heetaSheet I.

Witnesses: Invenbr; Cd W1 Ava/um Patenfed Apr. 4, I899.

H. W. COX. ELECTRICAL ADVERTISING MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 15, 1898.)

2 Shouts-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

a-ra8J7655567-i9 o o o a o o o od o PM NIH" W WfTaases j UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE HARRY \VILLIAM COX, OF NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND.

ELECTRICAL ADVERTISING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,608, dated April 4,1899. Application filed September 15, 1898. Serial No. 691,025. (Nomodel.)

To (all whom) it may concern.-

lie it known that I, HARRY WILLIAM Cox, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, and a resident of the city of Nottingham, inthe county ofNottingham, England, have 'invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Electrical Advertisinglllachines, (for which an application for apatent has been filed in Great Britain, bearing date March 1, 1898, No.4,040,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electricaladvertising-n'lachines, in which the advertisement is displayed bylighting certain lamps of a group.

The object of this invention is the construction of a machine by whichthe lamps to be lighted are selected automatically, such machine beingprovided with means for selecting any required lamps of the groupwithout the use of independent means, such as jacquardcards or theirequivalent.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of themachine. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine, showing a section onthe line A A, Fig. 1, and with the driving-motor and gearing removed.Fig. 3 is a plan, to an enlarged scale, of a few of the selecting-bitsand brushes or spring contactpieces. Fig. 4 is a section on the line BB, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an elevation of part of a group of lamps. Fig. 6 isan elevation of one bar of selecting-bits, and Fig. 7 is an endelevation of Fig. 6.

In the particular machine shown in the drawings three hundred and sixtylamps are used, and these are arranged in ten horizontal rows withthirty-six lamps in each row..

This group of lamps is divided into six sets, and each set comprises tenhorizontal rows with six lamps in each row. The lamps in each set arenumbered, as shown, between the lines 0 C, Fig. 7, and one of the wiresfrom each lamp is coupled. to a series of contactsprings or brushes a,while the other wire from each lamp is coupled direct to one of the maincables. The other cable is joined to the machine, and contact is madefor lighting the lamps by a series of fingers b, which are arranged tocorrespond with the contactsprings or brushes a, these latter and thefingers I) being numbered, as shown in Fig. 6, to correspond with thelamps in each set.

In the selecting-machine there are preferably as many cylinders as thereare sets of lamps in the group, and each cylinder is provided with anyconvenient number of sets of fingers which represent the number ofdifferent advertisements that can be displayed in succession withoutaltering any part of the machine. The cylinders consist of end disks a,mounted on shafts d, which revolve in bcar in gs e on the side frames f.Between the disks 0 there are three rods g, h, andi for each set offingers b, which are fitted to turn on the rod 9 between the rod habovethe rod g, Fig. 4c, and the rod h of the next adjacent set of fingersbelow the rod g-that is to say, the rod h of one set of fingers limitsthe upward movement of such fingersand the downward movement of the nextadjacent set of fingers. The fingers required for making contact withthe lamps to be lighted remain approximately in a radial position, whilethe fingers that are not required are turned upward, and the divided setof fingers are held in their relative positions by the rod 1 which ispassed through holes or slots in the end disks 0 and secured by nuts orother convenient fastenings.

In Fig. 5 the double circles represent the lamps required for thedisplay of the letter S, and these lamps correspond with the fingersshown in their operative position in Fig. 6.

The contact-springs or brushes a are arranged as shown and are attachedto a block of vulcanite 7a or otherwise insulated from each other andthe machine,the block being carried by an angle-bar Z from the frames f.

Outside the bearings c both ends of the shafts d are fitted with cranksm, those at one end being at right angles to the cranks at the oppositeend, and the cranks are cou pled together by links a to insure thesimultaneous and equal'movements of all the cyl- 1 inders. For actuatingthese cylinders one-of the shafts is fitted with a ratchet-wheel 0,which is actuated by a weight or a spring 3 through a lever q and pawlp, the lever being moved against the resistance of the spring or weightto engage another tooth by a cam 0' on a shaft 3', which is driven byWorm-gearing '6 from a motor 11 or by any other convenient source ofpower.

In the machine herein described it has been assumed, for the sake ofsimplicity, that each letter is shown in one set of lamps. In practice,however, one set of lamps maybe occupied by one or more letters or partsof such letters, and there may be one or more rows of letters; but inall cases the number of fingers on any one rod multiplied by the numberof cylinders equals the total number of lamps in the group.

Having 110W described my invention, What I desire to secure by LettersPatent in the United States is 1. In an electrical advertising-machinethe combination of agroup of lamps with an equal number ofspring-contacts or brushes arranged in rows, and electrically connectedto the lamps, a cylinder for each row of springcontacts or brushes,connections between the said cylinders whereby all are rotated equaldistances and simultaneously, selecting-lingers carried by the saidcylinders and making direct electrical connection with the lamps throughthe spring-contacts or brushes,means for holding the said fingers, inand out of their operative position, and ratchet mechanism for operatingthe said cylinders, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbeforeset forth.

2. In an electrical advertising-machine, the combination of a group oflamps, spring-contacts or brushes arranged in rows with electricalconnections to such lamps, a cylinder to each row of spring-contacts orbrushes,

selecting-fingers carried by the cylinders and making direct electricalconnection with the lamps through the spring-contacts or brushes cranksand coupling-links connecting the cyl' inders together, and ratchetmechanism for actuating the cylinders, substantiallya-s hereinbefore setforth.

3. In an electrical advertising-machine, the combination of a group oflamps, spring-eontacts or brushes arranged in rows, a cylinder for eachof such rows, selecting-fingers carried by the cylinders and makingdirect electrical connection with the lamps through the spring-contactsor brushes, a rod for such lingers to turn upon, a second rod forlimiting the motion of the fingers, and a third rod for holding thefingers in their selected position, substantially as hereinbet'ore setforth.

i. In an electrical advertising-machino, the combination, of a group oflamps, spring-contacts or brushes arranged in rows, electricalconnection between the lamps and springcont-acts or brushes, a cylinderfor each roW of contact-springs or brushes, selecting-fingers carried bythe cylinders, rods for the selecting-fingers to turn upon, rods forlimiting the motion of the fingers and holding them in their placedposition, cranks and coupling-links whereby all the cylinders areactuated simultaneously, and ratchet mechanism for operating the same,substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

HARRY \VILLIAM COX.

Witnesses:

J AS. ALFRD. HATNALL, WILLLuI II. Po'r'rnn.

